Credentials Returned
by hoopznyoyo
Summary: Foyet returns Morgan's credentials. Chapters 1 through 5 recently updated
1. Chapter 1

CREDENTIALS RETURNED

My name is Ryan Whitfield. The man I've been dating works for the FBI in the Behavioral Analysis Unit. We've been dating the past three months; well, three months, one week and 4 days, but who's counting? He just came out of surgery. The doctor said surgery went as well as it could have gone; they managed to stop the internal bleeding and were able to re-expand his collapsed lung. Looking at him in the ICU, on a ventilator and with tubes everywhere, I'm not reassured. Agent Emily Prentiss told me his family has been notified and is on a plane here. On the rare occasions I allow myself to think of things like meeting someone's family, I never imagined it this way. The BAU team has gone home by now. They offered to stay, but it's been a long night for everyone and there's not much any of us can do now but wait and see. My body longs to sleep, even in this awkward hospital chair, but my mind won't stop. It keeps going over the last few months, day-by-day, moment-by-moment.

_A little over three months ago…_

"Reid, tell me again why I'm going to this show or whatever it is with you tonight?" SSA Derek Morgan asked Dr. Spencer Reid as their "official" workday was nearing its end.

"It's a lecture and a book launch. The author seems to be very interesting," Reid answered. "You said I needed to get out more, meet girls, I get to choose where and you'd come along."

"Since when did you start listening to me?" Morgan retorted, shaking his head.

A few hours later Reid and Morgan met up outside a medium-sized, modern office building. Huge planters filled with bright green foliage and summer flowers flanked the brightly lit entrance on either side of large glass doors. Just inside the entrance a backlit logo was visible on the wall. It said The Whitfield Group.

Derek Morgan gave the crowd going in a quick once over before turning to Reid, "You don't expect me to follow you around all night, do you? This seems like your kind of crowd. You'll be fine; I'll catch up with you in a bit."

Derek Morgan drifted through the large room carefully picking his way through clusters of people standing around talking. Eventually he spied a door that opened to an empty, outdoor courtyard. At least it seemed empty at first glance. As he entered into the dimly lit square, he noticed a woman sitting in the far corner talking to one of the catering help. From where he stood in the doorway, she appeared to be pretty and her laugh slightly carried through the square. Instead of turning around and meeting up with Reid, he began walking in her direction.

"Ryan, should I bring you out your usual?" asked the uniformed man.

"Thanks, Steven. That'd be great," replied the woman.

"Looks like you have an admirer," Steven said with a big grin filling his face. "It's about time someone found you out here."

"A what? Where?" she responded, picking her head up in surprise. "You know, maybe we're out of crab cakes and they're looking for you."

"Over there, just walked through the door and moving this way. No, definitely looking at you; not a crab cake issue. I think I'll get those hors d'oeuvres now," Steven chuckled as he walked away.

Ryan glanced over in Morgan's direction and smiled. Tall, dark _and_ handsome. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was dreaming, she thought and then congratulated herself on her choice of dress. She had almost remained in the dress pants and blouse she wore earlier to the office and at the last minute decided to change. As she watched his direct stride, Ryan could tell the man was self-assured … very self-assured. She decided the evening might turn out to be remarkable after all.

As Derek Morgan moved closer he saw that the woman was quite pretty, with bright, blue eyes and blond cropped and artfully tousled hair. Her full lips formed an enchanting and playful smile as she watched him walk towards her. The dark blue off the shoulder dress she wore set off her porcelain skin, highlighted her eyes and provided a nice view from where he was standing.

"Hi," she said, as she looked up smiling again into his glinting, dark eyes. "You know the lecture and all that are inside."

"I know, but it looks a lot more interesting out here," Morgan said with a smile and a lift of his eyebrows. He knows how to use those eyes, she thought as she moved over on the stone bench. Ryan was more than willing to carry on the flirtation and was happy to have someone to talk to for part of the evening. "How come you're not inside?" he asked as he sat down next to her.

"Me? I'm always out here during these things," she answered. "After you've been to one, you've kind of been to them all. My name's Ryan, by the way."

"Derek Morgan," he replied in return.

"Well, Derek Morgan, how did you end up here tonight?" Ryan asked. Before Morgan could answer, Steven, the caterer, returned with appetizers and drinks for two.

"Ryan, here you go," Steven said leaning in as he put the tray down and whispered to her, "I brought extra just in case; looks like I was right."

"Thanks, Steven," Ryan answered, avoiding direct eye contact with the caterer. She knew if she looked up she would probably turn seven shades of red and it was nowhere near dark enough to hide it.

Ryan offered Morgan one of the drinks and some food as Steven walked away. "One of my colleagues asked me to come along," Morgan said with a slight laugh. "He's inside. How about you? Dressed like that, there's no way I'd let you out of my sight, too risky. Either your date isn't too smart or you have another reason for being here?"

"I work for The Whitfield Group; we're launching the book, doing promotion and all that fun stuff. My job includes putting these things together, so I sort of have to be here. Not abandoned by an inattentive date," she told him and laughed again. "Try this spinach-artichoke puff, it's killer … and I'm glad you like the dress."

Morgan took one and popped it in his mouth, "That is good."

"Isn't it? Every time there's something going on at the office, I make sure these are always on the menu," she laughed. "So what do you do when you're not being dragged along to book launches?"

"I work for the FBI in the BAU – Behavioral Analysis Unit. That's the unit that develops the profiles to catch serial killers, arsonists and overachieving bad guys. We also occasionally get called in to help on kidnapping cases," he answered. "What makes you think I was dragged along?"

"A lot of our clients are in the healthcare and education fields. You're not what I usually see walking around these events," she replied letting her eyes run over him. He was wearing black trousers with a burgundy dress shirt and looked better than handsome, if there was such a thing. Ryan was also quite sure Derek Morgan would look very good in anything … and possibly nothing. "They're usually much more… scholarly; patches on the sleeves and all that. You seem more apt to be spending your evenings getting your groove on with _all_ the ladies down at Luxe."

Ryan watched for his reaction before she said anything else. If she was correct he was used to women falling all over him. She wasn't going to be one of them no matter how interested she was, but she didn't want to offend him either. She was happy to see a smile spreading across his face as he laughed. "_All_ the ladies?"

"Um-hmm," she replied with her eyes flashing and an impish grin. "I bet they love your badge."

"I only show that to the ones I really like," he countered enjoying the banter and her laughter.

"So you're a profiler? With all the deadlines I deal with, I thought my job was stressful," she said changing the subject and being more serious. "I think you have me beat. Is it as bad as I imagine?"

"It gets pretty intense at times," Morgan agreed. They continued talking and eventually noticed the noise from inside had quieted down considerably. Morgan checked his watch.

"Time flies," Ryan chuckled as she leaned over and saw the time.

"Yeah, it does," he responded. "I had a really great time tonight."

"Me, too," she answered.

"Would you mind if I called you sometime?" Morgan asked.

"I'd really like that," she said and pulled a card and pen out of the small handbag she had stashed under the bench. "Here's my card. Office number on the front, cell is on the back."

He took the card from her as they stood and put it in his pocket. He let her walk in front of him towards the door into the office building. "Ryan, thanks again for a great night," Morgan said as they reached the doorway.

She looked up at him and grinned, "I'm glad you decided to come tonight, Derek. Thank your friend for me." In the darkness and privacy of the courtyard doorway, he bent his head and kissed her. Ryan was a bit surprised by the kiss, but it definitely wasn't unwelcome and it definitely was one of the better ones she had received. His lips pressed against hers softly as if he was tentatively waiting for her reaction. When she didn't pull away his mouth slowly explored hers until a sound in the distance interrupted the moment.

At the front door of the building, Morgan met back up with Reid. "Where did you get to? I didn't see you anywhere in there," Reid asked and looked around. "Okay, Morgan, how many phone numbers did you get tonight?"

"Just one," Morgan replied nonchalantly.

"Wow! You had an off night." Reid answered.

Morgan pulled the card Ryan had handed him earlier that evening out of his pocket, looked at it and placed on the nightstand. Seconds later he picked it up again, flipping it over and over in his fingers. Ryan Whitfield. She never mentioned her name was the same as the company, not that it mattered to him. After several minutes of internal debate he picked up his cell phone, flipped it open and dialed.

At home, Ryan jumped as her cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Derek. You said you'd probably be at the office late and most likely alone. I'm just wanted to be sure you got home alright," he said quickly coming up with an excuse for his call.

"I got in a short time ago," she answered and wondered if she was imagining this too. On the drive home, she found herself looking forward to the possibility of Derek calling but she knew he probably had enough phone numbers from women to make a book inches thick.

"I was wondering if you would like to have dinner tomorrow, if you don't have plans?" Morgan asked.

"I'd love to," Ryan answered.

"I'll call you tomorrow and we'll work out the details, if that's alright? I never really know how my day is going to go," he told her.

"Sure. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Good night, Derek Morgan," Ryan said into her phone before disconnecting the call.

"Night, Ryan Whitfield," Derek replied.


	2. Chapter 2

_Approximately three months later._

"Thanks for meeting me here on such short notice. I've been crazy busy lately; sorry I haven't been in touch more," Ryan said to her friend, Corinne, as she sat down at the table.

"No problem. I enjoy getting a chance to speak with a mostly sane adult. So, how's the new man in your life?" Corinne asked with a big smile. "Your emails haven't really said much. I want details."

"He's good. It's good," Ryan said returning the smile as she looked over the menu. "I never know when he's going to be around since he can get called out to wherever, whenever; but if the worst problem we have is "scheduling" sometimes… there is no problem. You know what I mean? Hmmm, what else can I tell you? He appreciates my wicked sense of humor and I appreciate that every so often he makes me dinner."

"It's been what … three months?" Corinne laughed. "I remember what that feels like. I'm happy for you and a tad jealous. Dinner, huh, must be nice?"

"Did I mention the brownies?" Ryan said.

As they enjoyed laughing and catching up along with some delicious sandwiches, a man unknown to both women came up to the table. "Ryan Whitfield?"

"Yes. Can I help you?" Ryan said cautiously.

"I'm a friend of Derek Morgan's. He left this behind the other day. I called to tell him and he said you'd be having lunch here and I could just give it to you," the stranger explained.

"Uhmm, okay. I'll be sure he gets it," Ryan responded with uncertainty and eyed him suspiciously.

The man walked off and Ryan opened the bi-fold to see FBI credentials for SSA Derek Morgan. "Cor, I hate to cut you short but I've got to call Derek."

"Why? What's the big deal? He left his ID somewhere and his friend dropped it off," Corinne answered, looking at it. "You said handsome, but wow."

"This isn't Derek's ID. I mean, it is, but it isn't," Ryan responded seriously, trying to explain her unease. "He stayed at my place last night and I handed him his ID this morning. I know he has it with him. Plus, he doesn't know I'm here; I just called you this morning about lunch."

Ryan pulled out her phone and called Derek, "Are you at your office?"

"Yes, why?" Morgan replied, surprised. Ryan rarely called while he was working.

"I need to see you," she said quickly.

"I'm at work," he answered, not knowing if she was serious or teasing.

"It's important," she responded. "I'm coming there. Don't leave."

"Ryan, what the hell is going on?" he asked trying to get more information.

"I'd rather not try to explain on the phone. Just stay put. I'll be there as soon as traffic will let me," she said and headed out to her car.

At the entrance of the FBI offices in Quantico, Ryan saw Dr. Spencer Reid walking into the building.

"Hey, Spencer," Ryan called running to catch up as best she could in the shoes she was wearing.

"Ryan! Hi! It's been a while. What are you doing here?" Reid answered as he stopped and waited for her.

"I need to see Derek. It's important. Do you have any magic tricks that can help me clear security?" she asked.

Reid got Ryan through security and escorted her up to the BAU offices. As they walked through the etched glass doors, Morgan looked up from his desk, "What's going on?"

Ryan handed over the credentials. "Where'd you get this?" Morgan asked with concern.

"I was having lunch with a friend at Cape Blues Café; some guy came up to the table and gave it to me. Said you left it last time you saw him," she answered.

Reid and Morgan looked at each other. "And then what?" Morgan inquired.

"Nothing. He left. I called you," Ryan questioned sensing their concern. "What's going on? How did he get your ID?"

"Reid, get everyone together in the conference room," Morgan said as he showed her up the steps and into the large room. He had Ryan sit at the round table while they waited for the rest of the team to gather. She could see and feel his tension as she sat there; she wondered just how bad it was. "Okay, now tell us what happened from the time you got to the restaurant," he told her when everyone arrived.

Ryan recounted her time at the restaurant until the time she left, answering the team's questions as they came up. "Are you going to tell me what this is all about now?" she asked, looking at Derek. Everyone else around the table was silent.

Morgan stopped pacing, sat down next to her and explained how serial killer George Foyet took his credentials in Boston. "Who else knew where you were going to lunch?" he asked.

"No one," she answered.

"_No one_? Not your assistant? Not the receptionist?" he persisted. "Did you list it in your computer's calendar so other employees could find you?"

"Derek, no one knew and it wasn't in my calendar or listed anywhere else, online or offline. I called Corinne at 10:30 when I knew I'd be free. We decided right then where and when. I just told Chantelle I was going out for lunch with a friend," she replied.

The silence was almost deafening. "He had to follow you from work," Morgan stated, rubbing his forehead. "He found you there somehow."

"Do you think you can sit with Garcia, our tech whiz, and work on a sketch so we can see if he changed his look?" Dave Rossi asked from his chair looking at her closely.

"Sure. Whatever you need," Ryan replied wondering why he was watching her so intently. He couldn't believe that she had anything to do with the situation, could he?

As everyone left the conference room Dave Rossi held Morgan back. Seeing the look on Rossi's face Emily took Ryan to get some coffee in the small café area so the two men could talk alone. "Is that Robert Whitfield's daughter?" Rossi asked from where he sat.

"I think that's her father's name," Derek answered looking at Rossi quizzically. He knew Rossi's reputation around the FBI as a bit of a lothario. "Why? Do you know her?"

"So that is Ryan," Rossi mused and then answered noncommittally. "I went fishing with her father a few times." From across the conference table Dave Rossi looked Morgan directly in the eye and added, "Take care of her, Derek, we wouldn't want her to get hurt now, would we?"

"Are we still talking about Foyet, Rossi?" Morgan asked as Rossi watched from the other side of the conference table.

"What else would I be referring to?" Rossi answered and walked out of the room.

Morgan found Ryan having coffee with Emily and escorted her to Penelope Garcia's office almost imperceptibly shaking his head. Ryan noticed but remained silent as they walked down the hallway. She wondered what had been said between the two agents after everyone had left the room. Whatever it was, Derek was all business and not in the mood for small talk.

"Penelope Garcia ... Ryan Whitfield," Morgan introduced the women and quickly exited the small room before either could say a word, leaving them alone with the computers and each other.

"Agent Rossi called down and said to work up a computer sketch with you," Garcia said, giving Ryan an obvious head-to-toe once over. Ryan could feel the coldness in the tech's reception and wondered at its cause. Ryan was unaware that Dave Rossi had referred to her as Morgan's girlfriend when he called down. Unbeknownst to Ryan, BAU team tech expert Garcia tended to not like the women Derek Morgan chose to date. She was a bit over-protective that way and despite the close friendship she shared with Morgan, Derek had yet to tell Garcia about Ryan. Morgan didn't have a girlfriend, at least not a serious one as far as Garcia knew. Up until that moment Penelope Garcia had believed that Derek Morgan told her everything.

Ryan nodded. "I've heard a lot about you. Derek thinks you're really terrific."

Garcia eyed Ryan warily through her green cat's-eye glasses. "Hmm… he hasn't told me anything about you," she countered; not just anyone was good enough for her Derek Morgan and Ryan hadn't passed inspection yet.

"Well when Derek doesn't want to talk about something, he doesn't want to talk about it. You've got a better chance of moving Mount Everest than getting him to open up," Ryan said, noticing the slight edge in Garcia's voice. She diverted the conversation away from Derek hoping to ease the tension in the room. "Love your pens. I have one that lights up; I drive them crazy during meetings but it does lighten the mood. The coffee mug is great, too. I need to get me one of those." Ryan really did want to get along with these people, especially Garcia who Derek was particularly fond of.

"Thanks," Garcia smiled in spite of herself. "Let's get started on this sketch."

Morgan and Reid returned to Garcia's office later and found the two talking and laughing. "Are we interrupting?" Morgan asked.

"Not really, hot stuff. We're finished," Garcia replied and handed him the print of the sketch.

Hearing her reply, Morgan nervously looked over at Ryan who just smiled mischievously and asked, "Can I go back to work now?"

"No," he answered shortly, looking at the printout of the sketch.

"No?" Ryan asked. "Why not?"

"He could still be following you. And before you ask, you're not going home either. You're going to a safe house," Morgan sternly answered.

"Derek, really, a safe house?" Ryan asked, not quite believing her ears. "Is that necessary?"

"He's a killer," Derek said succinctly.

"Yes, I got that. I just sat with you and your team and heard all these horrific things that he does; how this is all some sick game for him," Ryan said trying her best to not sound sarcastic. "And where will you be while I'm at the safe house?"

"Trying to find Foyet. Why?" he answered, watching her closely. He could tell she was doing her best to control her temper and he was almost positive it had nothing to do about the safe house.

"Why? He found me through you," she replied. "How else could he know that the two of us are connected? You're the profiler. You know he had the chance to hurt me. Chances, really," Ryan said matter-of-factly. "I went into the office alone; I walked out to my car alone; I left Cape Blues alone to come here and that's just today. Derek, it's your ID he brought back. This is about you and I think you should be at the safe house, too."

"Maybe you should both be at the safe house." Reid chimed in after hearing the exchange.

"I second that," Garcia agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

"How long do I have to stay here?" Ryan asked Morgan as they walked through the front door of the FBI safe house, followed by Agents Reid and Prentiss. She wasn't happy about staying there but she knew it was the best thing at the moment.

"Till we catch him," he answered without hesitation, carrying the bag she quickly packed when they stopped by her townhouse. "Would you prefer a re-location out of state?"

"Until you catch him? That could be days… or weeks. No one is going to believe that I took a few days off work just because. What do I tell people when they call and ask what's going on?" she asked him.

"First of all, you aren't going to use your phone unless it's absolutely necessary. If the one or two people you may have to talk to ask, tell them you have the flu and will be working from home for now," he told her with a stern look that said there wasn't going to be any more discussion on the subject.

"I know this is serious, I do, but honestly I'm going to go stir crazy in here in a few days," Ryan said pleading her case. "Can I at least go outside for a walk?"

"Ryan, he knew your name." Morgan said quietly, leading her into the privacy of the bedroom and putting down her bag.

"I know that," she answered, sitting on the bed. "I also know he was watching you… watching us for longer than an hour or two to pull this off the way he did. I just would much rather be at home or at your place, without the armed guard watching me day and night. It's like I'm the one who did something wrong. And…"

"Foyet is very dangerous and they're here to protect you. I have to catch this bastard; I can't be at your place or mine all the time to be sure you're safe," Derek replied cutting her off, his fingers tilting her head upward so she was looking into his eyes. "I want you to be safe. Do you understand that, baby girl?"

She knew he was right but she was still concerned about his safety. "I'd prefer it if you were in one piece too," Ryan said softly as she grabbed his hand. "You could let someone else save the day this time."

"I have my go bag in the truck. I'll be back later, I promise. Now that you have the team all stirred up, they're gonna be sure I stay here, too," Morgan said as he crouched and un-zipped the bag he carried in. "Oh... I brought you this." He tossed a pillow he had grabbed from her bed at her place and laughed, "Now I don't have to hear how you can't sleep because you don't have your pillow. Someone will be dropping off Clooney later, so you'll have some company."

"Thanks," she replied with a smile. Ryan placed the pillow near the headboard and sighed.

"Come on," he said to her. "I'll give you the grand tour." After a quick walk around of the small house, Derek was ready to get back on the case. Ryan stood next to him at the front door as he prepared to leave and said, "Stay safe."

"I will," he answered, giving her a quick kiss while Reid and Prentiss tried to look otherwise occupied. "Promise."

Emily Prentiss followed Derek outside to the team's black SUV. As he was getting into it she asked, "What time will you be back, Morgan? We're trying to keep you safe, too, you know."

"I gotta find him, Emily. He's made this very personal now." Morgan answered.

"You really like her, don't you?" Prentiss inquired with quiet amazement, having never seen Derek Morgan quite so serious where a woman was concerned.

Morgan looked back at Prentiss and exhaled slowly. Up until that afternoon Reid was the only one on the team who had met, or for that matter even known about Ryan. "She's very special," he admitted after a slight pause. "And I'm not going to let Foyet do anything to hurt her."

Agent Derek Morgan met up with Rossi, Hotch and JJ at the BAU office and went over video from the reception area and parking lot of The Whitfield Group, along with whatever else Garcia could find from areas near where Ryan travelled earlier that day.

"You know Morgan, you don't have to work this one," Agent Dave Rossi said as they went over the video footage along with re-studying information from Foyet's previous killings.

"Yes, I do," Morgan replied looking Rossi directly in the eye. "As soon as he gave her my credentials he made sure of that, Dave."

"Wait a second, JJ. Stop the video," Hotch said quickly. "Rewind it just a bit, I think I saw something. Right… there."

On the screen, they saw a man walking in to the front entrance of The Whitfield Group and up to the reception desk. They watched him as he stopped at the desk, handed over what looked to be a business card and then turned and walked out a few minutes later. "That's Foyet talking with the receptionist," Hotch said. "That must be how he got her name."

"That tape was from yesterday. That means he was waiting, watching her," Morgan added as he dialed Reid's cell. "Reid, I need you to ask Ryan some questions."

"Sure, Morgan," Reid answered, and called Ryan over to where he was. "Go ahead."

"She says today was the first day she left the office for lunch this week," Reid replied to Morgan's question. "Otherwise, the only time she left the office was at the end of the day." He paused as Morgan asked another question and then relayed it to Ryan. "No, she walked out of the office with someone each day and afterwards, she was either at home or with you." Reid nodded as he listened to Morgan and then turned to Ryan, "Foyet was at your office yesterday and spoke to the receptionist. He handed her a business card. We think that's how he learned who you are. Did she mention anything to you or give you the card perhaps?"

"She gave me a card from a printer/copier salesman. I couldn't tell you now what company or the name on it," Ryan told him as Reid now held the phone out so Derek could hear what she was saying. "We're happy with the vendor we have at the moment, so I tossed it."

"Okay, thanks Reid," Morgan said as he closed the phone and turned to the others. "She wasn't alone at lunch today either, so why approach her now?"

"He waited until she was in a place that would raise the least amount of alarm," JJ postulated. "In a parking lot, a stranger walking up to her would cause a lot more concern than at a crowded restaurant at lunchtime."

"Have Garcia go over all the tapes and see if she can trace him back to a vehicle," Hotch said. "He had to get to her office somehow and I doubt he took a bus."

Around 11:30 pm, the team called it a day. Morgan drove back to the safe house and after conferring with the agents outside, he let himself inside. Clooney, his Australian Shepherd, met him at the door of the house. "Hey, Clooney, how's everything? You taking care of our girl?" he asked as the dog looked up at him.

"Shh, Clooney," Morgan said in a low voice as the dog whimpered at the bedroom's doorway. He didn't want to disturb Ryan as she slept.

"I'm not sleeping," Ryan said from the bed.

"You have your pillow so what's the problem?" Morgan teased, although the answer was obvious.

"Ever have one of those days when you can't stop thinking?" she asked. She had been lying there for the past hour replaying the day's event in her mind.

"Yeah," he replied as he climbed into the bed and put his arms around her. "It's gonna be alright, baby girl."

"You sure about that?" she responded with concern. "He's gotten away before… and… sometimes these cases you work on don't turn out too well. People get hurt; they die. I…"

"Shhh, we're gonna get this guy. Nothing's going to happen," Derek Morgan said as he held her close, not sure which of them he was trying to convince more.

_George Foyet sat in the dark, cheap hotel room and couldn't help but laugh to himself. He was sure Aaron Hotchner, Derek Morgan and the entire BAU team was running around in circles. He had planned this carefully and they had dismissed him from their minds so easily moving on as if he had never existed; that would be their mistake. They had no idea right now where he was and when he would strike, of that Foyet was certain. Soon, Derek Morgan wouldn't be the one who had gotten away. Agent Aaron Hotchner would wish he had agreed to stop looking for him. He was enjoying this game tremendously._

_Getting close to the BAU team proved a challenge. He had to use all his computer skills to find and access the information he was searching for… Derek Morgan's personnel file. Once he had discovered Agent Morgan's home address Foyet found a safe place to park a bit away from the residence. Tree trunks partially obscured the view of the front door but he could still see Derek's coming and going. Foyet found Morgan's schedule, or lack thereof disconcerting; Derek Morgan came and went at all times and this caused him to re-work his original plan. _

_The one surprising constant was the woman he found in Morgan's life during the couple of weeks he was watching him. The existence of a girlfriend wasn't unexpected to George Foyet but he had imagined SSA Derek Morgan to be more of a player and less committed. Some nights the girlfriend and her classic car stayed at Morgan's. She apparently had things at his place, as she never brought an overnight bag. On other nights he would stop at home after leaving Quantico, pick up his dog and both would travel over to her place. This one was obviously someone special. He would have to remember to thank Derek Morgan for showing him where she lived; it had helped form his new plan._

_Her existence meant Agent Derek Morgan was much more vulnerable and Foyet knew she could be used to get to him. He decided to follow her one morning as she left Morgan's home. The woman arrived at an office emblazoned with The Whitfield Group well before 9 am. While watching her he noticed the large parking lot had cameras mounted on light poles. For two days he visited the parking lot, studying the cameras, watching her movements and planning the next move before he decided to walk into the building. George Foyet posed as a salesperson for printers and supplies and while chatting up the receptionist, he vaguely asked about the classic Ford Mustang parked in the lot. _

_Once George Foyet had her name, the rest was easy. He followed Ryan to a restaurant a day later when she left the office in her Mustang for lunch. She seemed troubled at the café as if she knew something wasn't quite right. He lingered long enough to see Ryan pull out her cell phone. If the call was to SSA Derek Morgan, everything was going exactly as he had hoped. Tomorrow he would look for her at work again, but first he had to do something about the license plate on his car just in case the cameras had caught the plates._


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, Garcia, what d'you got for me?" Morgan asked, looking at the big monitor in the BAU conference room when she finally had gotten in. Even though it was still early Friday morning, he had been at the office for hours going over the information they had. He hadn't been able to sleep and after tossing and turning for a few hours, decided he could accomplish more at the BAU office. Ryan hadn't been happy about him leaving in the dark, early hours of the morning but didn't try to stop him.

"Well, I found this from the parking lot of The Whitfield Group. Each day for the past four days this car hangs out in the lot for a while in the morning, then leaves," she answered, pointing out a partially obscured, light colored, non-descript sedan. "No one gets out, no one gets in. So, why is it there?"

"Can you see the person inside?" asked Hotch.

"No; but I was able to get a partial plate number and I managed to track it down. It's stolen, from Pennsylvania; I think it's our guy," Garcia added.

In the conference room, the team decided their next move. JJ would help Garcia and go over video looking for the sedan along the streets and highways. Rossi, Hotch, Reid and Morgan were going to canvas nearby towns on the lookout for the car. Prentiss decided to go back the safe house and see if she could find out anything else from Ryan; something she possibly saw and forgot. It also gave her the opportunity to get to know the woman who got to Derek Morgan.

"How come you didn't tell me about her?" Garcia asked, holding Morgan back as the rest of the team left the room. "I thought we were, like BFFs."

"The last time you found out I had a date with someone, I got quite a tongue-lashing from you, beautiful," Morgan said. "Remember that?"

"That was totally different," Garcia said in explanation. "Derek, she seems nice. She's intelligent; she's funny; she's pretty, and most important of all, you seem happy. Well, not since yesterday, but before that. I wish you nothing but the best."

"Thanks, Penelope. It means a lot coming from you," he said and smiled.

"Now get out there and catch this guy, so you can go back to being happy, cupcake," she shot back.

Emily Prentiss greeted the agents on duty that morning outside the safe house, unlocked the door and went inside. "Ryan," she called out as she entered. "It's Emily Prentiss."

"In the bedroom," Ryan responded.

Emily walked down the short hall to find Ryan going through the bag she packed the day before. Clothing was tossed in a haphazard pile on the bed as she dug through the large duffel.

"Clooney, don't. Off the bed," Ryan said as the dog jumped on the bed and started tunneling through the pile of clothing. "I know it's here somewhere," she muttered, as Prentiss entered the room.

"What are you looking for?" Emily Prentiss asked. "Maybe I can help you find it."

"A USB thumb drive with some of my latest projects on it," Ryan replied as she continued to look in the bag. "It's not in my laptop bag and I know I grabbed it. It's grey, rounded on the ends. At work they think when I tell them to order the lime green one, I'm just doing because I have some need to be noticed. I just want to be able to find things."

"So how is it going?" Prentiss inquired as she started going through pockets on the clothes that were on the bed.

"OK, I guess," Ryan answered. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? Or, can't you tell me?"

"We were able to identify a car we think Foyet was driving; Derek and the others are out looking for it and him now. JJ and Garcia are still looking at video trying to further narrow down a location." Emily Prentiss responded.

"And you got to babysit?" Ryan glanced up and asked. "Guess you drew the short straw?"

"I think I found it!" Prentiss exclaimed. "It must have fallen into this shirt pocket while in the bag. And no, I didn't draw the short straw. I volunteered to come over." She paused and then asked, "Can you think of anything out of the ordinary that happened the past few days that you may have just brushed off at the time? The same car following you for miles? A strange car in the parking lot at work? Anything like that?"

"I've gone over it again and again and I can't think of anything. Sorry," she replied.

"That's okay," Prentiss said. "So, what are you working on? Morgan hasn't really said what you do; actually, he hasn't told us about you at all."

_George Foyet switched license plates in the dark. The Pennsylvania plate that was on the car was replaced with Virginia ones he found on a beat up car down the block from the hotel. The next morning, he went back over to the entrance of The Whitfield Group, this time watching from the parking lot of a nearby office building. He waited until 9:30 that morning for Ryan Whitfield to arrive but she never showed. For the past few days she had been at the office by 8:15 at the latest, so he knew something had changed her plans. When he phoned The Whitfield Group office and inquired if he could speak to her regarding printer purchases, he was told that she would be out for the day. After driving back to her townhouse and finding no signs of activity, Foyet angrily wondered where she could be. He knew Ryan Whitfield must really mean a lot to Derek Morgan for him to hide her away so well and so quickly. _

_Foyet knew if Ryan was at Morgan's residence she was probably well guarded, either by undercover FBI agents or by Derek Morgan himself. The best chance he had was surprising her at work or at her home when she was alone. Once he had her, it would be easy to finish what he had begun with Agent Morgan in Boston. Foyet was almost positive Derek Morgan would do almost anything to be sure that Ryan Whitfield was safe. But for the moment, all he could do was wait. Eventually she would return home and he was patient. When she did, he would make sure that SSA Derek Morgan and the entire BAU team suffered for choosing to pursue him. If they had only left him alone, not only would Derek Morgan's life not be at stake neither would Ryan Whitfield's. _

After an unsuccessful search, Hotch sent Morgan back to the safe house early that night. "Go and get some rest," Hotch said to a protesting Morgan. "I need everyone at their best if we're going to catch Foyet. And best doesn't mean you in here after only two or three hours sleep."

Morgan entered the safe house and found Ryan sitting at the table working on her laptop with Clooney at her feet. "Hey," she said as he walked in. "You're back here early. If I had known, I would've made some dinner. Well, I would have if there were actually food here. The guys outside did tell me that pizza would be arriving soon though."

"Good," he said, pacing near where she sat. He watched as her finger glided over the mouse and said, "Still working, I see."

"Pot… meet kettle," Ryan said as she glanced up and watched him walk back and forth. From the pacing and the look on his face she could tell he was in a mood; evidently they hadn't found any trace of Foyet during their search. "Once I finish up this proof and send it where it needs to go, I promise I will shut this thing off _and_ leave it off, if you promise to stop pacing like a caged animal and relax for, oh… at least an hour or two. Deal?"

"Deal," he answered. "How'd you get a wi-fi connection?"

"Garcia hooked me up," she replied. "She's very helpful."

He continued pacing and after a short silence said, "You didn't tell me you knew Rossi."

"I don't," she replied eying him curiously. "Did he say I did?"

"Not exactly," Derek told her. "He said he went fishing with your father a few times. It seemed like he saw you before and maybe spoke to you."

"My father's been going out fishing for years and aside from the people at the office, I have no idea who he goes with," Ryan explained and then added thoughtfully. "I guess it's possible he may have seen me at the house if he was there. Did you think I was holding out on you?"

"Maybe you have a thing for FBI agents," Derek said coming to sit next to her.

"I'm looking at the only FBI agent I have a thing for," she said with a wink and then added mischievously, "Now, if we were talking about a thing for say, hockey players, you might be on to something."

"Don't stop now," he said with a laugh, as there was a knock on the front door. "What kinda thing you got for hockey players?"

"Time for dinner," she replied happy to see him laugh and relax a bit. "Saved by the pizza."

"You are not getting off that easily, Ryan Whitfield," Derek said as he walked to the door.


	5. Chapter 5

"Question for you, Derek Morgan," Ryan said as they got dressed the next morning.

"Go," he replied.

"Can someone run by my place and check on things, maybe pick up the mail?" she asked.

"Do you want them to water the plants, too?" Morgan asked with a raised eyebrow. Ryan's green thumb or lack thereof, had become a running joke between them. He had lost count on the plants that had withered and died since they met. What made it so funny was that she did water and take care of them.

"No, I'm sure the plants will be fine, smartass. They might even grow while I'm here," she replied, happy to see he was in a much better mood than the previous evening. "I'd just like the mail before it overflows; there's a couple days sitting there now."

"Tell you what, it's Saturday. I need to get out of here for a while, too. I'll take you over but it's got to be quick. We get the mail, check to make sure everything's okay and we come back here," he answered after thinking for a few minutes. "No packing another bag or deciding what shoes you may need."

"My bag packing did not take long and there was no drawn out decision over shoes," Ryan said with her eyes flashing. She was more than happy to play along with the teasing; it was a welcome change from his recent grim mood. "I don't know where you come up with this stuff. Have I ever made you wait because I didn't know what shoes to wear?"

"Do you want me to answer that?" he responded seriously.

"Not really," she said with a smile. "Derek Morgan, you are the best, do you know that?"

"I am well aware of that fact but just be sure you never forget," he answered, coming to stand next to her.

"Cocky and arrogant. Nice," she said as she put her arms around him. "Tell me again why I choose to spend so much of my free time with you?"

"Because you find me charming, handsome and when you get home after a tough day at the office I can make you forget all about it with my…" Morgan said leaning in close.

"Hey!" Ryan exclaimed.

"With my infamous steak dinner. That mind of yours. What did you think I was going to say?" he asked.

"Nevermind. Either way you'd be right," she replied and kissed him. "Don't worry; I never forget you're one of the best things to come into my life."

Derek Morgan phoned Hotch before leaving to let him know what their plans were. "Yes, Hotch; it's only for a few minutes. I understand; if I see anything, I'll call," he said into the cell phone.

Shortly after pulling onto the highway, Morgan looked over at Ryan as she was fiddling with the radio station presets in his truck. "You know, I'm sorry for getting you involved in this," he said quietly, the teasing and playfulness from earlier gone.

She looked up surprised, "You have no reason to apologize. None of this is your fault."

"A serial killer was following you and may be looking for you now," Morgan said solemnly. "That is because of me. You were right; the only he reason he even knows you exist is because you're involved with me."

Ryan stopped pressing buttons and looked at him, "Derek, stop. Do not blame yourself for any of this; I don't. You had no idea this was going to happen."

"Ryan, if something happens to you, I don't know what I'd do," he said seriously, his voice low as he looked out the windshield at the road.

"Listen to me. You put me in a house guarded 24/7 to keep me protected. You and your team are working round the clock to find him. You have done everything you can to make sure I am safe and you know that as well as I do," Ryan said emphatically. The last thing she wanted was for him to be blaming himself for the events happening. "No more apologies, okay. Besides, when this is all over, you'll be making it up to me for a long time," Ryan said pausing before adding. "And Derek, I love you too."

"Making it up to you for a long time? Really?" Morgan answered eyebrows raised.

"Yes, really," she replied. "You should consider any time you have away from work scheduled for months at the very least."

At her townhouse Morgan parked in the driveway, got out of the truck and quickly scanned the street, finding nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. He then motioned for her to get out of the vehicle as he collected the mail while Ryan opened the front door and disarmed the security alarm. Neither noticed the light-colored sedan that was now pulling up down the street. Foyet had decided to drive by Ryan's again to see if she had returned yet. He saw the dark-colored truck in her driveway and smiled; his plan could now come together.

Once inside, Derek handed Ryan the mail and she quickly flipped through the envelopes, pulling a few out of the stack. While she was opening the more important mail, he walked through the house making sure everything was in its place.

"Ryan!" he called from the kitchen and then entered the living room laughing holding a mostly withered, brown plant. "What's this?"

She looked up, saw what he was carrying and held back a smile as she said, "I think it used to be an African violet." He took the plant back to the kitchen shaking his head as she continued scanning the mail.

"When you catch Foyet and things get back to normal maybe you can take a few days off?" she asked as she went up the stairs to the master bedroom to grab a sweatshirt to take back with her. "I know this great house in Oxford; private beach, amazing view."

"If I get to take the time off, how do you know it's available?" he asked her. "It could be rented out. It's off-season but it's been nice."

"Trust me, it's available," she called and smiled, remembering fun days spent at her family's getaway. She looked up to see the man from the café just inside her bedroom's French doors. Foyet had quietly come up the steps of the master bedroom's deck and picked the lock on the door to get in. He pointed a gun at her and motioned for her to remain silent. Ryan complied knowing any other action right then would cause him to shoot her. She tried to remain calm and keep her wits, as she stood there helpless.

"Hi Ryan," Foyet said quietly so as not to alert Derek. "Thanks for shutting off the alarm; it made my life a whole lot easier. So, where've you been? You weren't at the office yesterday. Did you and Derek have a hot date? Since he's looking for me he probably didn't have time for you, did he? Sorry about that. Well, I hope Wednesday night was good for you, because it was the last night you're going to spend with him."

"Go to hell," she said angrily, her eyes wide. She noticed the anger helped quell the fear that had bubbled up inside her. While she was at the FBI offices speaking with Derek's team, she had seen pictures of what Foyet was capable of and heard them say what he had done to his other victims. Ryan knew she had to let Derek know he was inside the house or hers would be the next photos they would be looking at.

"Did he tell you what I do to people? You might want to stay on my good side, that way you'll have a fighting chance. It's a small one, but it is a chance. Now, you're going to call him up here like you need something," he said quietly and moved in to place the gun against her as his arm wrapped around her from behind. "Don't scream and don't struggle or I'll kill you now, Ryan."

"Hey, Morgan, can you come up here?" Ryan called, hoping he would catch on to what she was trying to tell him. "I need you to reach a shoe box for me in my closet."

"Sure, baby," he answered. Didn't he just tell her about not wasting time before they left the safe house? They had even been joking about shoes. He began walking towards the stairs and stopped. Ryan never called him Morgan and she kept her shoes, every last pair of them, in one of the spare bedrooms on the first floor. Derek Morgan took the gun from the holster at his waist and began up the steps. From the doorway of the Ryan's bedroom, he saw Foyet shielding himself with Ryan, his gun now pointed at her head.

"Let her go, Foyet!" Morgan shouted and pointed his weapon at Foyet. "She's not any part of this. I'm the one looking for you and I'm the one you came here for."

"Derek, do you really think I'm going to let her go just because you asked?" Foyet asked him. "You should know better."

Ryan looked at Derek. Her blue eyes were filled with fear and Derek Morgan knew that was exactly what Foyet fed off of. "Ryan, do not show him fear, that's exactly what he wants. Do not give him that."

"That's sweet, Derek; trying to get her through this," Foyet responded his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I don't think she'll make it though."

Ryan could feel the fear getting the better of her, clouding her thoughts. As she stood there, Foyet's gun pointed at her temple, her mind raced. Since they started dating, Derek had taught her some Judo for self-defense and also how to fire a gun. Right now though, if given the opportunity she wasn't sure she would be able to use either to help save herself. Ryan had protested about the shooting lessons at first, telling Derek she didn't own a gun and had no intention of getting one, but he had insisted. They were both surprised when she turned out to be quite a good shot. She knew that her getting the gun off Foyet was a long shot at best. Her moving out the way and giving Derek a shot was a better option. If she could figure out a way to move that wouldn't cause Foyet to fire at her she knew Derek would be able to take him down.

"So, what do you think, Agent Morgan? Which of you should be first?" Foyet asked flippantly. "Would you like to flip a coin?"

"You're not going to get out of here." Morgan said calmly.

"Really? What makes you think that?" Foyet answered, his weapon still pointed at Ryan. "I could shoot you now, and then do whatever I want with her; or I could kill her right now while you watch. Even if you shoot me, I think I still win. Think about that." Foyet paused and then continued, "You know Derek I'm quite surprised, she does not seem your type. I would have expected more of a party girl… all style, no substance. But Ryan here is the total package: beauty, brains, a company of her own one day and a cool ride. Do you ever wonder, Derek, just what she sees in you? If I were you, I would."

Morgan kept his gun trained on Foyet, trying to not pay any attention to the killer's words. He knew Foyet wanted a reaction and he wasn't going to give him one. He couldn't get a clear shot with the way Ryan was positioned and he wasn't willing to chance a shot and possibly hit her. Foyet knew that and was using it to his advantage. "So, Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan, what's it going to be? What do your years of training say you should do?" Foyet taunted him. "What do you want to do?"

As he spoke, Foyet pulled Ryan backwards closer to the open French door leading onto the deck, his gun now pointed at Morgan. As he did, she decided that she was not going to go meekly along with Foyet's plan. If he wanted her out the door, he was going to have to drag her. Instead of walking backwards with him she stopped and let herself become dead weight. At five feet, nine inches and a healthy 147 pounds give or take, she knew she could be a handful. George Foyet was drawn off balance by Ryan's sudden lack of movement and had a difficult time keeping his arm around her and his gun at her head. He tightened his grip on Ryan causing her to wince and as she took a sudden step back one of her legs got tangled with Foyet's. As she stumbled to the floor, Foyet knew that Derek Morgan now had an open shot at him. As soon as Derek saw Foyet's gun now pointing in his direction he managed to get one shot quickly off. Derek wasn't fast enough however; Foyet had fired first and hit Morgan, grazing his non-shooting shoulder. Foyet quickly fired again, this time hitting Morgan in the chest. Derek fell to the ground holding the side of his chest, his gun dropping from his hands to the floor. Morgan's bullet had hit Foyet and as Foyet instinctively reached for his injured arm, Ryan rushed towards Derek as he lay on the bedroom floor.

"Get my gun," he gaspingly told her as he struggled to remain conscious.

Ryan reached for Morgan's gun and grabbed it. She aimed up at Foyet from one knee, her shooting lessons with Derek all a blur in her mind. The only clear thought in her head at that moment was to survive and help Derek. Foyet gave a sardonic laugh as he looked at her and her FBI boyfriend bleeding beside her. "You're a fighter, aren't you? That's good; I like 'em that way. It's more fun. Do you think he'll enjoy it as much as I will?" with a toss of his head towards Derek who lay there groaning in pain.

"You son-of-a-bitch," Ryan replied.

George Foyet slowly raised his weapon, planning to only wound her and then use the knife he had concealed in his coat. He hoped Derek Morgan would hold on to life long enough to hear her screams. Ryan saw the gun begin to rise and pulled the trigger once … twice. Foyet fell out onto the deck; two gunshot wounds to the center of his chest.

Ryan put the gun down, her hands shaking. She pulled a shirt from the nearest drawer and pressed it and her hands against the wound in Derek's chest. "Derek, talk to me, babe," she said to him as he groaned in pain, drifting in and out of consciousness. "You stay with me." With one hand she managed to get his cell phone off his belt and dialed 911. She tried to stay calm as she provided information to the operator and begged them to hurry. They remained on the line with her and at her request contacted FBI Agent Aaron Hotchner. The minutes seemed to drag on for hours for her until the EMS crew arrived. Hotch and Rossi and the local police arrived at her home as the paramedics were working on Derek. The two agents quickly briefed police and then took Ryan to the hospital.

As Derek Morgan was rushed into emergency surgery Hotch and Rossi questioned Ryan about what had happened at her home and made certain she was okay. She answered as best she could about the chain of events and assured them she was fine. As they were talking, the rest of the BAU team joined them one by one, in the surgery waiting room. Emily Prentiss was the last to arrive and walked over to sit next to Ryan who sat with her head resting in folded hands, eyes focused down at the floor. "Ryan," Prentiss said quietly. "How are you doing?"

"Just fuckin' great, Emily" Ryan answered looking over at her. "You?"

"I've had better days, too," Prentiss said with half a smile and stood up. "Let's go get you a different shirt." The two women had become fast friends in the short time they had known each other and Emily had discovered that Ryan cared deeply for Derek Morgan. Emily could see the concern on Ryan's face and knew she hadn't realized her top was spattered with blood.

"What?" Ryan asked and then looked down at her top. "God." She hadn't realized that there were bloodstains on her shirt until that moment.

"Come on," Emily said and gestured for Ryan to follow her. They walked down a hall where Prentiss spoke with one of the nurses. The nurse walked off and soon returned with a scrub shirt that Emily handed to Ryan. The pair then walked to the nearest restroom and Ryan went into a stall and changed shirts. When she emerged Emily took the bloodstained top and placed it in a plastic bag she had also obtained from the nurse.

"What else can I do?" Prentiss asked Ryan as they slowly walked back down the hall. Near the waiting room Dave Rossi joined them. "Do you need to make any calls or get anything? Just let us know," Emily continued.

"Someone needs to call his mother. I don't know the number but she needs to know what's happened," Ryan answered knowing full well if everything turned out okay Derek would be upset with her. Not knowing the extent of his injuries Ryan was willing to chance his anger; she knew her own mother would never forgive anyone not calling if she had been hurt.

"We'll take care of that," Prentiss answered nodding as Rossi walked away opening his phone to get the number and make the call. "What else?"

"Clooney's still at the safe house. I can't leave him there," Ryan said.

"I picked him up after Hotch called me. He's at my place. I have yours and Derek's things, too," Emily replied. "If you need to make any calls, go ahead. If one of the doctors come out, I'll come and get you."

Reassured by Emily's words, Ryan nodded and walked to an outside door where she could use her cell phone. Dave Rossi was still there and let her know that he had spoken with Derek's mother and she would be arriving as soon as was possible. "We'll have someone pick her up at the airport and bring her here," Rossi said. "Do you want me to call your dad?"

"No. They'll be less upset if they hear my voice," Ryan replied and dialed her parent's number. Rossi waited with her as she told her father what had happened. "Yeah, he's right here in fact," she said into the phone and then handed it to Dave Rossi. Moments later Rossi handed the phone back to Ryan and she said a quick good bye.

"So, my dad have you keeping an eye on me?" she asked him as they stood outside.

"Not really," he answered a bit sheepishly. "Your father asked if I knew the agent you were dating. I was surprised to find out it was Morgan."

"You couldn't have said anything too terrible. I would've heard about it otherwise," Ryan replied.

"There's nothing terrible to say, Ryan," Rossi told her as he held the door open for her. "Does Derek like the ladies? Yes, but so do I for that matter and you already knew that. Other than him being fiercely guarded about himself there isn't much I can tell you. Follow your instincts and you'll be fine."

They walked back into the waiting room together and Ryan sat back down, trying her best not to look at the clock every minute. A few hours later a doctor walked through the doors. As they gathered around he told them that the surgery had gone well, they had managed to stop the bleeding and Derek was now in the ICU. The doctor let them know two of them could go in and see him for a short time when the nurse came to get them. A nurse entered the waiting room not long after and Ryan and Hotch followed her to the unit. Before entering the room, Ryan paused at the doorway to inhale deeply. As she did, Hotch placed his hand gently on her shoulder in silent support. She silently walked into the room followed closely by Hotch and bit her lip to hold back the flood of emotion as she saw Derek lying motionless in the bed with tubes snaking everywhere and monitors beeping.

Ryan approached the hospital bed where Derek lie and grasped his hand. He groggily opened his eyes and tried to focus. "Hey babe," she said quietly and stroked his forehead with her free hand. "You're in the hospital. It's going to be alright."

Hotch stood next to Ryan and looked down at Morgan. "You're going to be fine, Morgan. Just rest," he assured him.

A few minutes later the pair left the room as Derek drifted back into sleep and returned to the waiting room where everyone else was anxiously awaiting them. After assuring the group that Morgan was stable Hotch insisted the rest of the team leave and try to get some sleep. They reluctantly went home after Ryan promised to call when she had any updates. Rossi, Hotch and Prentiss remained with Ryan for some time. The four of them went up to a large sitting area on the floor where Ryan assured them she would be okay and didn't mind waiting until Derek's mother arrived. When she looked at the clock she knew that the woman should be arriving shortly.

Ryan walked back to Derek's room alone and pulled a chair up his bedside. Then she slightly lowered the bedrail so she could see him better, then sat down and gently clasped his hand again. "It's only me again," she whispered as his eyes flickered open ever so slightly. "I'm right here with you." His hand lightly tightened around hers in reply.


	6. Chapter 6

Not many hours after being notified that Derek had been shot, Fran Morgan arrived at the hospital in Virginia. There was no way she was remaining in Illinois when her son had been shot and was undergoing surgery. She booked the earliest flight available and told her daughters, Sarah and Desiree, she would call them as soon as she knew anything about his condition.

An FBI agent named Anderson drove Fran Morgan to the hospital. He had picked her up at Reagan International Airport after her flight's arrival from Chicago. At the hospital, he walked her up to the information desk, flashing his badge as she inquired nervously to Derek's whereabouts. The two took the elevator to the ICU where Derek's room was located. As they exited the elevator, she told the agent she would be fine and walked toward the partially opened door to Derek's room alone as Anderson waited in the hallway until she entered the room. She hesitated for a moment in the doorway before she entered. While she desperately wanted to make sure her son was okay, she was afraid to see what had happened to him.

Fran looked into the quiet room and saw a woman sitting at the side of his hospital bed. The scrub shirt Ryan was wearing was just visible from the door and Derek's mother smiled. She would be able to inquire into Derek's status from someone directly involved in his care. As Fran slipped into the room she saw that the woman's head was leaning on a small spot of mattress, eyes closed and her hand wrapped around Derek's; maybe she was the dinner plans Derek had vaguely mentioned the last few times they had spoken on the phone and not a nurse. Before she had time to further process what she was seeing, the door closed slightly behind her with a squeak. In the quiet room, it was loud enough that the younger woman jumped awake and looked around.

The sudden noise startled Ryan awake from the light sleep she had fallen into and caused the day's events to come flooding back to her mind. She let go of Derek's hand to slowly rise from the uncomfortable chair. Her back was now stiff and sore from being bent over awkwardly as she slept and Ryan hoped she could get something from the nurses to ease the pain. Through somewhat blurry contact lenses she could see someone else had entered the room. Ryan blinked a few times hoping to clear her eyes and erase the fuzziness, then turned and looked into the face of a worried, older woman.

"I'm Fran Morgan, Derek's mother," the woman said as she approached Ryan. "I'm sorry to startle you."

"That's okay; I must've dozed off. I'm Ryan. Ryan Whitfield," Ryan said introducing herself. She gestured towards Derek who hadn't stirred. "We've been dating a few months. It's really nice to meet you, though I wish the circumstances were different."

"So do I. How is he?" Fran asked, concern filling her voice.

"He's been sleeping," Ryan answered and gave the run down she had received earlier. "The surgeons stopped the bleeding. He had a collapsed lung; that's why he's on the ventilator and has the chest tube. They said the tube might come out in as soon as two days if all goes well."

"And the person who did this?" Fran questioned. "Did they catch him?"

"He's dead," Ryan replied matter-of-factly though her insides were shaking at the memory. She was surprised at how calm she sounded saying it but she didn't tell his mother that she was one who had killed Foyet.

"You sit with him for a while," Ryan said as she stretched and rubbed her back. "I've got to walk a bit, my back is killing me. Would you like a coffee or soda or something?"

"Coffee would be great. Thank you," Fran said as she took a seat next to her son's bed and watched Ryan thoughtfully. "Cream only."

Ryan nodded and left the room in search of the cafeteria and hot, caffeinated drinks. While she was on her mission she stopped to check her cell phone at the hospital entrance. She paced impatiently as she waited for her phone to come back online in the darkness. Moments later her phone started beeping with alerts of voice mails, text messages and missed calls. She skipped over the majority of them and chose to return the call to her parents despite the late hour. Both her parent's phones went straight to voice mail. Next, Ryan sent a text message to her brother who had also called and sounded extremely concerned about her wellbeing. She knew her mother must have called him and let him know what had happened.

Ryan then went back inside the hospital. After getting two large steaming cups of coffee she rode the elevator up to Derek's floor. As she turned the corner, she saw her father at the nurses' station talking with one of the nurses on duty that evening. They picked their heads up and stopped their conversation when they saw her in the quiet corridor.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Ryan asked wearily.

"Your mother and I have been trying to get in touch with you. You were going to call back, remember? When your phone went to voice mail again I headed over," Robert Whitfield answered. His daughter's tired eyes managed a smile.

"I fell asleep. I just left you a message," she said quietly. "How'd you know where to find me? They don't give out that information. If it wasn't for his team leader insisting, I don't think they were going to let me stay."

"An old friend helped me out," her father said then asked. "How is he?"

"He's out of surgery and was responsive after coming out of the anesthesia," she replied and started walking down the hallway towards Derek's room. "The nurses said to let him sleep as long as he needs." She stopped at the doorway and then said, "Let me take this into his mom. She arrived here not too long ago."

Ryan walked back in the room and handed the coffee to Fran who gave her a grateful smile. As Fran started to stand up Ryan shook her head and gestured towards the door where her father stood looking in. "My dad," she whispered and then walked back into the hallway.

"How are you doing?" her father questioned when she returned looking at her scrub shirt. "Dave said you weren't hurt when he called."

"I'm fine. Really," Ryan replied trying to convince her father. "I'm scared for him. Derek lost a lot of blood. He's on a ventilator to help him breathe until they're sure his lung isn't collapsed and is working on its own again. There's all those tubes and wires and beeping machines."

"Hey, hey, Ryan, it's gonna be okay," Robert Whitfield responded and put his arm around her shoulder. "He's healthy, he's strong and he's got you there for him; that's a huge plus. You look like you're about to drop at any moment, though. Do you want me to take you home?"

"I can't leave her here alone, Dad," Ryan replied looking through the doorway. "She just got off a plane from Chicago. Besides, my place is trashed."

"Your mother and I have room for both of you," he answered sensing her hesitation. "You can't do anything else here. He's got a lot of good people taking care of him. Don't you think Derek would want you to take care of yourself too?"

"Let me talk to his mom and see," she said and walked back into the room. She went over to where Fran Morgan was sitting. She crouched down next to the chair quietly spoke to her about both of them leaving and trying to get some sleep. Fran was also reluctant to leave but when she realized that a visibly exhausted Ryan wouldn't leave without her, she gave in. After they each said goodnight to Derek, Ryan grabbed Fran's bag and they walked out of the room.

Robert Whitfield took the bag from his daughter, glad that she was going to try and get some rest. He then introduced himself and expressed his concern for Derek to Fran Morgan. As they passed the nurses' station, Ryan slowed down. "Ryan, they already have your phone number and instructions to call you if anything changes. What did you think I was doing when I got here?" he asked and gently steered her toward the elevator.

As he pulled out of the parking lot he asked, "Where we going, Ryan? Home? Your place?"

She rattled off Derek's address. "I know it's a little out of your way but I'd rather go there right now," she replied.

"If it means you'll get some rest tonight, it's not a problem," her father replied sincerely.

Ryan pulled the key to Derek's front door out of her purse as they pulled up. She unlocked the door and walked inside, flipping the light switch next to the door as her father and Derek's mother followed behind.

"Thank you," Fran Morgan said to Robert Whitfield.

"Don't mention it," he replied. "Both of you need to get some rest. He's going to be fine." He then turned to Ryan, "Do you need anything else right now?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm good."

"No, you're not, but we'll talk tomorrow, possum," he said and hugged her. "If you need anything, you call. Now go get some sleep."

"Have you been here before?" Ryan asked Fran as she locked the door after her father left.

"No," she replied. "This is my first visit to Derek's house and to Virginia. Where's Clooney?"

"One of Derek's co-workers picked him up earlier and has him," Ryan answered. "Can I get you anything?"

"Thank you for staying with me," Fran said. "I really wasn't looking forward to being somewhere alone."

"I didn't want to be alone either," Ryan told her. "This seemed like a better choice than my parent's. I love them and I know they're worried but I could tell from my mother's many voice mails she'd be hovering and I really can't deal with that right now."

"She loves you and wants to be sure you're okay, that's all," Fran said as she walked around the living room taking it all in.

"I know. It's all a bit overwhelming right now though," Ryan said. "Bedrooms are upstairs." She led the way up the steps and escorted Fran to the spare room and then showed her where the bathroom was. "If you need anything, I'm right across the hall, just let me know."

"I will," Fran replied and then hugged Ryan. "Your father was right though, you need to get some sleep. Your eyes, they're so tired."

After washing her face and removing her contacts, Ryan walked into Derek's bedroom and switched on the lamp on the nightstand. The room was exactly as it had been on Monday evening when she was there. She grabbed a nightshirt out of the drawer he had cleared for her weeks earlier and changed out of her clothes. Before climbing into bed Ryan grabbed one of Derek's shirts that was hanging over the arm of the chair in the corner. As she fell into a restless sleep, she held the shirt close comforted by the lingering scent of soap and Derek Morgan that was embedded in the cotton fibers.


End file.
